Chapter 13: Return to the Tomb – A Fight Against the Spectral Wardens
Liam stood at the entrance of the Tomb of Forgotten Shadows, his fingers lightly brushing the hilt of Midnight Fang. The cold night air carried an eerie stillness, but within the dark temple ruins ahead, death waited for him.
The last time he was here, he had been forced to flee. The Spectral Wardens had been untouchable, their ethereal forms immune to physical attacks. But now, he was different. His dagger burned with Shadowflame, a power designed to annihilate creatures like them.
He exhaled slowly, then stepped forward, his boots making no sound against the ancient stone.
A deep, unnatural wail echoed through the chamber.
They knew he had returned.
From the darkness, the Spectral Wardens emerged.
Their towering forms flickered between solid and ghostly states, their hollow eyes burning with an unnatural light. Their tattered cloaks drifted around them like mist, and in their hands, massive greatswords pulsed with cursed energy.
The moment they locked onto him, their blades howled through the air as they charged.
Liam didn't run.
This time, he fought.
The first Warden lunged, its greatsword coming down in a devastating arc that could cleave a lesser player in half. Liam didn't dodge outright, he stepped toward it, waiting until the last second before twisting his body, letting the blade graze past his shoulder.
A gap opened in the Warden's stance.
Liam struck.
Midnight Fang sliced into the creature's chest, the Shadowflame igniting on impact. Unlike before, when his attacks had passed harmlessly through them, this time—
The Warden screamed.
A burst of black and crimson flames spread across its body, its spectral form flickering violently. It could be hurt now.
[Critical Hit!]
[-2,400 HP]
But there was no time to celebrate. The second Warden teleported behind him, its sword swinging horizontally in an attempt to decapitate him.
Liam Shadowstepped, flickering behind the first Warden just as the attack came down. The two Wardens collided, their weapons sparking as their strikes missed their target.
Liam capitalized instantly.
He lunged, his dagger piercing straight into the first Warden's core. Shadowflame erupted from the wound, consuming the monster's form like a wildfire. The creature screeched as it collapsed into nothingness.
[You have slain a Spectral Warden!]
[EXP Gained: 3,200!]
Liam smirked. One down.
But the remaining two were already retaliating.
The second Warden extended its hand, and black chains of cursed energy shot toward him.
Liam twisted his body, narrowly dodging the first chain, but the second wrapped around his wrist. A searing pain spread through his arm, his health bar dropping.
[-700 HP]
He gritted his teeth. They were trying to bind him in place.
The third Warden rushed forward, raising its sword for a devastating overhead strike. Liam had seconds to react.
He didn't struggle.
Instead, he used the chain against them.
As the third Warden's blade came down, Liam yanked the chain, pulling the second Warden into its ally's path.
CRASH!
The greatsword slammed into the second Warden instead, its spectral body rupturing from the impact.
Liam capitalized on the opening, activating Shadow Rend, a technique that let him channel his energy into a sweeping arc.
His dagger burned with Shadowflame as he slashed through both Wardens in a single motion.
The flames exploded outward, engulfing both creatures.
[You have slain a Spectral Warden!]
[EXP Gained: 3,200!]
The third Warden staggered, barely holding itself together, its body flickering as it raised its sword for one last desperate attack.
Liam didn't give it the chance.
With a final burst of speed, he Shadowstepped forward, Midnight Fang already descending in a finishing blow.
The blade pierced the Warden's core, and the flames roared one last time before the monster collapsed into embers.
[You have slain a Spectral Warden!]
[EXP Gained: 3,200!]
[Level Up! You are now Level 10!]
Liam exhaled, standing amidst the ruins, the ashes of his enemies fading around him.
He had won.
A new notification appeared.
[You have conquered the Tomb of Forgotten Shadows!]
[You are the first player to clear this dungeon!]
[Unique Reward Unlocked: Shadow Assassin's Core]
Liam's heart pounded. A Skill Core.
He turned toward the altar at the far end of the chamber. Resting atop it was a dark gemstone, its surface rippling like liquid shadow.
He reached out, and the moment his fingers brushed against it, his entire body was engulfed in darkness.
A rush of powerful knowledge flooded his mind. His muscles tensed, his vision blurred, and then—
A new system prompt appeared.
[You have absorbed the Shadow Assassin's Core!]
[New Skill Unlocked: Phantom Reaver]
Liam opened his skill window, scanning the description.
[Phantom Reaver – Unique Rogue Skill]
Allows the user to leave behind shadow copies when using movement skills like Shadowstep. These copies can attack for 50% of the user's damage for five seconds before vanishing.
Grants +15% attack speed while active.
Cooldown: 30 seconds.
Liam's lips curled into a satisfied smirk.
This was beyond broken.
Not only would he be able to confuse enemies with afterimages, but those shadows would actually deal damage, meaning he could effectively be attacking from multiple angles at once.
This was the first step in evolving his entire playstyle.
He turned and walked toward the dungeon's exit, stronger than ever.
The world thought they were hunting Revenant.
They had no idea the real nightmare was just beginning.